Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-22
BURNING ELEVATORS.
"A minneapolis Blaze Which Wiped
cut a Million Dollars Worth of Prep.

"A Minneapolis Blaze Which Wiped
out Million Dollars Worth of Prep.
erry.
Minneapolis journal, goth: From z
O'clock last night until this morning
there was red glow in the sky over
southeast Minneapolis. The great
buildings of the st. Anthony Elevator
company, the largest in the northwest,
together with nearly million bushels Of
wheat, were almost totally destroyed by
fire, involving loss of nearly million
dollars and cutting off tenth of the
visible supply OF grain in the northwest,
The losses are all substantially coveyed
by insurance. The buildings will be
restored at once, in all probability.
1t was just about Z o'clock last night
when the attention of one of the
elevator watchmen, who was standing on
the steps of the main elevator, was at
tracted By gentleman on passing
Manitoba train who pointed to the roof
of the building. Smoke and
flames were bursting from the roof.
The watchmen turned on the pumps but
the headway of the flames was 80
great that ell effort to check them was
In vain. Several alarms were speedily
cent in and fire apparatus from five
engine houses started for the scene. The
buildings, however, were remote from
the center OF the city and the roads
leading to them were sandy. Before
the heavy engines could reach the fire
| the elevator proper was envoIoped In
flames. The two great storehouses--
Annex A and Annex C-oaught ire IN O
short time, and by 8 O'Clock tne three
buildings wers all blazs.
| A futile effort was made to save the
great storebouEe--annex a. At 7:3C
o'clock the destructive element began
its steady and irresistible movement
along the tramway 70 the storehouse
There was no use IN trying to keep il
back. The heat from the burning
building was intense. By8 o'clock the
| flames had enveloped at least one -thirG
of the building aud firemen had moth
ing to do but to protect adjoin-
ing property. There were nj
4 residences, several hundred fee
4 from the buildings. There wore M
water mains in the neighborhod, and tlas
Esingle stream which was played was hae
by damming Bridal Veil creek. TIT
water was thrown against the iron sheet
ed side OF the monstrous building, and
of course had no effect. The fiame
swept along the top of the great store.
house and then gradually down th,
lgreat bins.
i AS the flames progressed noise o
mighty beams breaking could be heard
land second later torrent of whoa
would come bursting through the red
i hot iron siding, sending the iron hyin,
| into hundreds of pieces, and form
huge heap extending clear ont to th
! railway tracks. The glare lighted u
the country for many miles around, AN
by the light could be seen thousands @
people and hundreds upon hundreds. o
vehicles
i The origin OF the fire i;ss ;ss mystery
1t is supposed, however, to have ignite
: from hot box in the shafting OF Il,
machinery at the top of the bnildins
} where the flames frat broke through
Another theory is that it started in th
: engine room aud followed one OF the ell
vator shafts to the top Of the bnildin,
3 The lest theory is not as plausibls as til
: first, for the reason that the machiner
t had not been in motion for more than q
hour before the fire broFe ouN and I'll
!, fire pndsr the boilers had been deadene,